California and Iowa among states holding Tuesday primaries

What This is

• Voters in six states—California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota—are holding June 2 primaries to choose nominees for offices including U.S. House and Senate seats and several governor’s races.
• California’s primary uses a top-two system in which the two highest vote-getters advance to November regardless of party, shaping strategy in the open governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayor contest.
• The California governor’s race is crowded and volatile, with polling showing Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton among the leading contenders for two runoff spots.
• Los Angeles’ mayoral primary is a tight three-way contest among incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, City Councilmember Nithya Raman and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, with a runoff expected if no one tops 50%.
• Turnout and ballot-processing logistics are a major focus in California, with officials warning voters not to rely on USPS postmarks and promoting vote centers, drop boxes, and same-day registration options.
• California election officials expanded early in-person voting through vote centers in multiple counties, including large deployments in Los Angeles County and Sacramento County and hundreds of centers in San Diego County.
• California’s Secretary of State said federal officials assured her that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will not be present at polling places, after concerns about voter intimidation.
• New Mexico’s gubernatorial primary is playing out in a state facing high violent crime and school performance problems while also managing a budget windfall from oil-driven tax revenue under a new semi-open primary system for independents.
• Iowa’s primaries are seen by both parties as central to the fight for control of Congress, with competitive contests shaping strategies for turnout and candidate selection.

Why This Matters

• California’s top-two primary can reshape November choices by allowing two candidates from the same party to advance, changing how parties and interest groups allocate money and endorsements.
• Turnout and ballot-handling rules influence who is represented, especially when close races hinge on late-arriving mail ballots or access to vote centers and drop boxes.
• High-profile local contests like Los Angeles mayor test voter appetite for incumbents versus outsider campaigns amid concerns over homelessness, safety, and economic recovery.
• Close primaries in battleground places like Iowa can determine which candidates and messages define the general-election fight for control of Congress.